Four-Way Gospel

I thought of this image after my last post comparing the four gospels.

Amazing, eh? The gospels have all the bases covered and they balance each other out. God's Good News is for everyone.

One book reminds us to look up to Jesus' divine origins (therefore being worthy of worship), another to look down to his humanity (therefore being worthy to be followed). Another looks behind to his Jewish origins (fulfilling ancient prophecies), while the last looks forward to his being Savior of the world.

Lastly, these four directions combined give us the Cross. The gospels tell of Jesus, who was born to die for our sins, so that we might live with Him. God is making sure that this Good News reaches everyone. 

Have we heard the News? If yes, are we going to share it, in any and every way we can? :)

The Gospel according to Social Media

I've been blogging here for *years*, and I'm also on Facebook. Last month I finally got on Twitter and Instagram. In learning how to express myself through different social media, complementary without being redundant, I also got a sense of... gospel harmony.

If you've read the four Christian gospels, you might notice that they're not exactly the same. Just like any book, each gospel has some traits based on the author and the intended audience. Let's look at those traits (according to experts as in here, and verifiable by you and me reading the books ourselves), and see the parallels with popular social media (in my humble personal opinion).

The Gospel according to Matthew

rj-mccauley.blogspot.com

Author's description:   Jew, former tax collector

Content:   Jewish Scripture, history, prophecies (e.g. Old Testament and other writings) 
Intended audience:   Jews or Israel

Focus on Jesus as:   King of the Jews, Immanuel ("God-with-us")

Focus on Jesus' sacrifice as:   Trespass offering ("trespass" = wrongdoing against God according to Jewish law)

Similar to which social media:   Blogs (e.g. Blogger, Wordpress)

Because of:   Ability to post unlimited text and images; Contain complete archives; Can easily link to other websites

 

The Gospel according to Mark

http://blogs.nsb.org/jonathanalexander/files/2010/09/mark.jpg

Author's description:   One of the 70 disciples, companion and scribe of Simon Peter

Content:  Quick, action-packed accounts; the shortest gospel
Intended audience:  Romans

Focus on Jesus as:  Servant, Prophet

Focus on Jesus' sacrifice as:   Sin offering ("sin" = wrongdoing in the general sense)

Similar to which social media:  Twitter

Because of:  Limited length of tweets and messages, emphasis on trending topics

The Gospel according to Luke

http://www.thatimaydwell.com/images/sermons/luke_lg.jpg

Author's description:   Doctor, non-Jew, companion of Paul

Content:  Accounts about the lost, weak, outcast (Prodigal Son, Good Samaritan)
Intended audience:  Greeks

Focus on Jesus as:  Son of Man, High Priest

Focus on Jesus' sacrifice as:   Peace offering (to reconcile outsiders to God)

Similar to which social media:   Facebook

Because of:   Emphasis on relationships (old and new), well-documented timelines

The Gospel according to John

http://pastorbrett.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/ibelieve_color.jpg

Author's description:   One of Jesus' twelve apostles

Content:  Word pictures (Jesus is the Light of the World, the Way, the Good Shepherd, the Bread of Life...) 
Intended audience:  All

Focus on Jesus as:  Son of God the Father, the Word of God made flesh

Focus on Jesus' sacrifice as:   Burnt offering (for worship)

Similar to which social media:  Instagram

Because of:   Emphasis on images

So there you have it. Please note that I'm not measuring the Christian faith with social network activity ;)  But I do hope that this post helps us appreciate the gospels more: in each book's uniqueness, and in their harmony (unity in diversity) in presenting Jesus, Son of God, Savior of mankind.

Free to Love ^_^

From C.S. Lewis' "The Case for Christianity":

“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible.

"Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata --- of creatures that worked like machines --- would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they've got to be free.

"Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently, He thought it worth the risk. (...) If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will --- that is, for making a real world in which creatures can do real good or harm and something of real importance can happen, instead of a toy world which only moves when He pulls the strings --- then we may take it it is worth paying.”

Underground Warfare

Here's a journal entry of a man in deep spiritual warfare. From the book "Fight" by Kenny Luck.

http://ivarfjeld.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/mexico2.jpg

December 9, 2006

"It was a hot LZ [landing zone; military term]. I never stopped firing. I prayed for the destruction of the building by an earthquake as an event that would speak to this people about God's displeasure and create an openness to a witness of the gospel. I claimed every life I encountered for Jesus, every wood beam, and every brick. Alan and I acted like we were pointing and commenting when, in fact, we were praying warfare prayers. I have never seen this kind of paganism, and yet Jesus was with Alan and me. We could sense His presence and covering like Daniel and his friends did in the flames of the fiery furnace.

"We prayed against all powers, thrones, principalities, and evil raised up in this place against the knowledge of God. We prayed against the lies and bondage of these precious ones of God (“Woe to those who make My little ones stumble”). We asked for the destruction of all images and idols. We asked for God's kingdom to come. We asked for God to set these captives at our feet free. We prayed the Scripture from John 17:3: “That they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” We prayed for every cacique's [local mob boss'] mind and for the destruction of strongholds and patterns of thought. We prayed for miraculous signs that would cut through culture and communicate God's power like nothing else. We declared the drunken before us for Jesus and not for evil, that they would drink a new wine of the Holy Spirit. 

"We prayed the Scripture. We prayed truth. We prayed in His mighty Name."

 

http://marcheta.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/bible_sword.jpg

Life can be good again

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vincealongi/2936158964/

"Slowly, with many lost days, I come back to life.
I try to follow Dr. Aurelius' advice, just going through the motions,
amazed when one finally has meaning again.

"We seal the pages with salt water 
and promises to live well to make their deaths count.

"What I need is the dandelion in the spring.
The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction.
The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses.
That it can be good again."
- Katniss Everdeen, Mockingjay (Hunger Games 3) 

 

http://cottagegardenthreads.typepad.com/.a/6a01348751618e970c0133f576c646970b-800wi   

I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today:

I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. 

Choose life so that you and your children will live. 

And love God, your God, listening obediently to Him, firmly embracing him. 

Oh yes, He is life itself, 

a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors.

- Moses (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)

All booked up :)

Yesterday I bought two books. (Yes, I'm a Jesus freak and a bookworm.)

One is from Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the great preacher Billy Graham. Billy calls her the best preacher in the family. I can see why:

"My duties and responsibilities at times seem overwhelming
and my schedule is overfilled.
But I don't want a vacation,
I don't want to quit,
I don't want sympathy,
I don't want money,
I don't want recognition,
I don't want to escape,
I don't even want a miracle!...

"Just give me JESUS."

Yep. Forget the problems and even the blessings... Let's go back to God Himself.

The other book I bought is the popular contemporary Bible translation, "The Message". I've been "craving" for it for some time already --- from the verses I've heard, Mr. Eugene Peterson talks straight and talks street. God's Truth is supposed to be sharper than a double-edged sword and The Message does deliver that truth in a powerful and (for people who've read the Bible for years) fresh way.

However, there are (quite valid) oppositions to The Message, such as found here and here.

What to do? The same thing a good Christian, a good scientist, or any person for that matter should do. Check, test, verify. 

The Christ-believers in Berea used the scientific method two thousand years ago:

"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - The Book of Acts

Alrighty. Receive with an open heart ("great eagerness") but also an open mind ("examined to see if... true"). To apply to this situation, read The Message with "great eagerness" but continue to read the other versions of the Bible as well --- the others already established as authentic. 

Any Bible translation is a human and therefore feeble attempt to record and resend the Word of God Himself. However, if it is True, then it would be able to shine a different facet of the same God-diamond.

That's it. Enough blogging. Now to sleep, and tomorrow, to read. :)

Resurrect!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday. People celebrated the resurrection of Jesus in different ways.

As for me...

• reformatted two computers (if you know me, you know this is a major issue)

• reclaimed leadership of our small group/Bible study -- thank You for the growth in quality and quantity. Every person is a blessing; every story helps us grow. ♥

• returned (slowly but surely) to Kids' Church ;) (If anything balances out teaching college students on weekdays, this would be it.)

• released, finally, all the bitterness and hatred, followed by a release of grace and forgiveness. This is my miracle of miracles.

• remembered to buy, one of these days, "Overcoming your Shadow Mission" by John Ortberg. Didn't have enough money once again ;) But I think it's something I need to know. Especially because I missed even the meaning of shadow mission completely.

• reminded again and again to confess my sins and bring them to light. Ask for help and for accountability. Relieved now. 

• restored and redeemed, even if yet in theory, God's plans and purposes for me. It's not my job to understand everything: I'm not God and I just act on the little that I do know. And I'm remembering to be thankful because His revelations are supposed to help and guide and remove confusion instead of adding to it. And I'm remembering that many seasons of frustration over delayed and denied *stuff* are directly due to my own *issues*. C'mon Lord. I claim Your power :)

• reminded that it's more blessed to give than to receive. :) This is no empty do-gooder push phrase; it's a tried and tested truth.

• reminded to "do ALL for the glory of God". But this time, it finally sank in. Finally finally. 

• remembering that Jesus ordered a direct command to NOT WORRY. Repeat ...

My body is supposed to be tired but my spirit is refreshed and renewed. :) 

"You must be born again," Jesus said. The decision to accept Christ can literally be made in an instant, but it is a commitment that needs renewing and remembering every once in a while. And the more we walk with God, the more we understand how great and holy and wonderful He is, and how undeserving yet blessed we are that He loves us... How far we are from Him and yet how powerfully He can change us if we just let Him.

And, so, I get born again, and again and again. 

And my soul is resting in peace while I'm being brought to life more and more.

Resurrect!

Talk it out!

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift." [1]

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother." [2]

For the longest time, my favorite (fictional) person was this mutant mind reader. But I'm neither a mutant nor a mind reader, so I need *communication*. When there is a conflict, problem or issue, there has to be a resolution.

A leader of mine says we tend to judge other people by their actions, but we judge ourselves by our intentions. When it comes to *others*, I tend to just be judgmental and assume the worst. This should not be.

The Bible talks about satan, the eternal enemy of God and all His works (including us, His children), who accuses us before God and each other. How many times have I agreed with satan when I serve as judge, jury and executioner towards others?

Remember (preaching to myself):
1. I might be wrong. I do not know all the details.
2. I am just the same, or worse. C.S. Lewis says, "My heart — I need no other’s — showeth me the wickedness of the ungodly." (Thanks for the quote Rayda.) Acknowledging my faults makes it easier to forgive others'.
3. I am not The Judge. I do not have the authority nor the power. I am just a fellow sister.

And that is why communication is important. When there is an issue between two parties:
1. Perhaps it was only a misunderstanding.
2. Perhaps one party did hurt/grieve/injure the other, but unintentionally.
3. Perhaps one or both did injure the other, but why?

All these can be resolved if each party airs his/her/their side... and listens to the other side.

We are different people, but let's take these differences constructively. We can learn from each other and grow. Let's appreciate each other, understand, and celebrate. :)

I'm not a mind-reader, but I am a person with one mouth and two ears. May I use them well.

Teacher's and teachers' roles

"The greatest of teachers said: 'The seed is the word.'
The true teacher stirs the ground and sows the seed."
     - John Milton Gregory, quoted in "Teaching to Change Lives"

Redeeming Love ♥

God loves us at our worst and redeems us to be our best. ♥ 

If there's one book that defines me --- or to be more exact, my relationship with God --- it has to be "Redeeming Love". (Thank you again to Jenny and Faye for sharing it with me.)

 

From the official site.

What's the big deal, you may ask. If it's inspired by a Biblical story, what's new in this book? How relevant would it be in this day and age... How relevant would it be to me?

The official site is celebrating the book's 20th anniversary. In the online journal contest, you can read how "Redeeming Love" has impacted others, and vote for your favorite testimonies. You can also share how the book impacted your life, and get a chance to win a trip for two to San Francisco, one of the main settings in the book.

The site also features some excerpts from the book. I can repost some of the parts here, but I might just end up transcribing the whole thing  :p  Just read it for yourself. (I can lend you my copy. c: ) And... prepare to be blessed :)

Living, Learning, Teaching

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern
what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2)


I bought this book years ago, but never got to read it. At first, I was too busy with my actual teaching duties. Then I left teaching completely, to focus on my dissertation. (As a prof of mine used to say, "How's your Physics problem?" Answer: "It's still a problem.")

I bought this book, heartily recommended it to Ron (who eventually became a teacher too), got it back from her, literally shelved it for years... And now, just as I'm returning to the teacher way of life, this book reappears. (This time, I'm ready, willing and able to actually read it.)

Then and now, I'm remembering my love for my students. Back then, I loved them enough to help them rather than myself, i.e., to teach rather than do my research. And when I could not teach wholeheartedly, I chose not to teach at all.

(Some would say, I have poor work ethic and time management skills. That's right, I'm still learning. But given those weaknesses, I am still standing by the career decisions I made years ago. Hopefully my more responsible colleagues would also use their heart every now and then. ;) )

So now I'm teaching part-time. I love the diversity of the subject matter, and the flexibility of the schedule. And, it's easier for me to interact with the students holistically --- asking "How are you?" and really caring about the answer, rather than just checking on one's grammar or punctuation.

So it's funny that unlike "other" matters, my calling to teach came about in a roundabout way. It is God's will for each of us to be good in some things, and have the desire to master those things and impart what we know. Simply put, that is teaching --- whether you are being paid by a university or hired by your friend's mom's neighbor or asked by your little brother.

Back then, I did not want to do anything that was not explicitly God's will for me. Now... I'm learning that teaching is. :) 


"Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive," by Dr. Howard Hendricks. Simply written yet highly effective. You can order the book here.

Revived; Single-minded. :)

The apostle James tells it like it is. He starts his letter with:

Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Charles Swindoll elaborates on this in his "The Quest for Character" (thanks to Andy for the recommendation):

I suggest we take this passage literally. "Unstable" means unstable. "Driven and tossed" means driven and tossed. Not receiving "anything" means just that. God deliberately holds back when the double-minded person prays. I call that serious.

How much better to be single-minded! No mumbo-jumbo. No religious phony-baloney. No say-one-thing-but-mean-something-else jive. No pharisaic hypocrisy where words come cheap and externals are sickeningly pious. The single-minded are short on creeds and long on deeds.

They care... really care. They are humble... truly humble. They love... genuinely love. They have character... authentic character. 

Mr. Swindoll also includes the following poem (thanks to Nelly for the more reader-friendly format):

Psalm of Single-mindedness

by Joseph Bayly

Lord of reality, make me real

Not plastic, synthetic, pretend phony

An actor playing out his part, hypocrite

I don’t want to keep a prayer list

But to pray

Nor agonise to find your will

But to obey what I already know

To argue theories of inspiration

But submit to your word

I don’t want to explain the difference

Between eros, philos and agape

But to love

I don’t want to sing as if I mean it

I want to mean it

I don’t want to tell it like it is

But to be it, like you want it

I don’t want to think another need me

But I need him, else I’m not complete

I don’t want to tell others how to do it

But to do it

To have to always be right

But admit it when I’m wrong

I don’t want to be a census taker

But an obstetrician

Nor an involved person, a professional

But a friend

I don’t want to be insensitive

But to hurt where other people hurt

Nor to say I know how you feel

But to say GOD knows

And I’ll try, if you’ll be patient with me

And meanwhile I’ll be quiet

I don’t want to scorn the clichés of others

But to mean everything I say

Including this

Truth as fresh as clear living water. I was and am suddenly revived... Matters clearing up... Single-minded. :)

Be true to your song

Let me remember my song in the night;
let me meditate in my heart.
(Psalm 77:6)


Leave me alone with my song
by Colin Rowe

When there's meaning in the music,
And music in the words,
A song can set the heart at rest
It need not even be the best
Of songs.
As long as it belongs to you alone.

A song is all you need, boy,
The rest is for the birds,
But all the birds have songs of their own
From the highest and mightiest, holiest bird
To the shiest and grubbiest lowliest bird
Each has his own inner song
And that's why I know it's all wrong
That I'm walking away from the song
That is mine ---


I bought  "Tell No Man" by Adela Rogers St. Johns at a secondhand store, not knowing how much it would resonate in my life as a Christ-follower --- then, as a new believer, and now, as a tired person in the world. 

The song above is from a fictional character in a fictional story, but how much can you and I relate? Will we conform to the world and end up as mere shadows and echoes... or will we be true to who we are --- who He destined us to be? 

No more (false) modesty

From "Tell No Man" by Adela Rogers St. Johns:

My best is not good enough but His is...

There have been days, don't think there haven't, when I've looked at that fellow in the mirror and said to him, Gavin, you smug so-and-so, you look pretty self-righteous to me. Who do you think you are buddy? Then I remember who I am. I am the prodigal son and if you'll reread that bit you'll see that the father wouldn't even listen to the son's self-condemnation and breast-beating, he just welcomed him home...

I remember that of my own self I must admit at once that I can do nothing but that he will always be with me. Then I quit letting any phony inferiority separate me from him...

But I want to make my point first about false modesty. I go back to Acts. You remember when Paul healed the cripple-from-his-mother's-womb at Lystra and the people saw it. So they started yelling that the gods had come down to them in the likeness of men, they brought garlands and oxen to sacrifice to Paul. When Paul heard them he --- it says this in Acts, did you know the whole Book of Acts is just that, the acts Peter and John and Paul and Barnabas and other followers of Jesus did in his name after he was gone? I only just realized this --- anyhow Paul ran among the people crying out to them. We also are men who have the same passions that you do, and preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven and earth and the sea and all things therein. Well, I faced up to it then, that it is the living God and the Holy Spirit that doeth the works, and not Hank Gavin, and I got back on the track.

Steadfast love? Yes and yes.

This month has been *such* an emotional roller coaster. 

(Side comment: I can't even say that this month has been the "most emotional ever"... which leads me to realize just how emotional I am. And I'm in an intellectual field. I'm adjusting still, but the more parts of me alive, the better, I say. :)  )

Three weeks ago, I yearned for steadfast love.

Two weeks ago, tired and discouraged, I was blessed with, in rapid succession:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Chapter 1.

• I finally got to start at the very beginning. Impatient, selective me previously just read and re-read the victorious glorious parts :D
• "It is scarcely wise when bringing the news of the death of his heir to a mighty lord to speak over much of the coming of one who will, if he comes, claim the kingship. Is that enough?" - Gandalf
  "Kingship?" said Pippin amazed.

 

2. Serendipity

• Like the lovers in the movie, it's been a long time since I last saw this. It's a most welcome encouragement to hear that all will be well.
• "If we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny."
• "You know the Greeks didn't write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: 'Did he have passion?'"
• "I think we make our own decisions, I just think that fate sends us little signs, and it's how we read the signs that determines whether we're happy or not."
• "Life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan."
• "When love feels like magic, it's called Destiny. When destiny has a sense of humor, It's called Serendipity."

3. Slumdog Millionaire

• Simply a masterpiece. :) Pursue good in the good, righteous way. Pursue love, seeking what's best for the beloved. Take care not to treat money as a god, and God will provide for you.
• "I know I have sinned. Forgive me." - Salim
• "God is great." - Salim
• "So are you ready for the final question for 20 million rupees?" - host
  "No, but maybe it's written, no?" - Jamal
• "I thought we would meet only in death." - Latika
  "This is our destiny." - Jamal

Last week:

The LORD your God is with you,
       He is mighty to save.
       He will take great delight in you,
       He will quiet you with his love,
       He will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17 


And this week:

One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that You, O God, are strong,
and that You, O Lord, are loving.
- Psalm 62:11-12


My heart can rest, for it is in the right place.  :)

 

when God speaks through film

i love books, i love films, and i love God. So what's not to love about the selection below? (Christmas is just around the corner, so don't even hesitate about giving me at least one of the books below :p) All items are from ChristianBook.com; click on each title to go to its individual site.


Through A Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil in the Movies
by Jeffrey Overstreet

In the style of a cinematic travel journal, film columnist and critic Jeffrey Overstreet of Christianity Today and lookingcloser.org leads readers down paths less traveled to explore some of the best films you’ve never seen. Examining a feast of movies, from blockbusters to buried treasure, Overstreet peels back the layers of work by popular entertainers and under-appreciated masters. He shares excerpts from conversations with filmmakers like Peter Jackson, Wim Wenders, Kevin Smith, Scott Derrickson, producer Ralph Winter, and stars like Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Keanu Reeves and the cast of Serenity, drawing "war-stories" from his encounters with movie stars, moviemakers, moviegoers and other critics in both mainstream and religious circles. He argues that what makes some films timeless rather than merely popular has everything to do with the way these artists—whether they know it or not—have captured reflections of God in their work. Through a Screen Darkly also includes a collection of reviews, humorous anecdotes and on-the-scene film festival reports, as well as recommendations for movie discussion groups and meditations on how different films echo the myriad ways in which Christ captured the attention and imagination of culture.

These are the confessions of Christian moviegoer, Jeffrey Overstreet, film enthusiast and movie reviewer. He'll sow you characters, different worldviews and different experiences that offer pieces of a larger truth, including movies like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Wings of Desire, and even the X-Men series. What makes some of these films timeless rather than merely popular has everything to do with the way the producers of these films - whether they know it or not - have captured reflections of God in their work. Overstreet also includes a collection of recommendations for movie discussion groups, links to updated movie resources for moviegoers and meditations on how different films echo the ways in which Christ captured the attention and imagination of culture.



Into the Dark: Seeing the Sacred in the Top Films of the 21st Century
by Craig Detweiler

Detweiler delivers one of the more successful and substantial theological interpretations of contemporary movies, mining film for spiritual meaning. The author, who is co-director of the Reel Spirituality Institute, contends that film is a powerful tool for society's self-reflection in a postmodern world. Nostalgia, memory and amnesia are three key themes in contemporary film that offer insights about our culture's sense of being lost in this postmodern context without any sense of direction. Detweiler brings his theological expertise to bear on several recent works such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Million Dollar Baby, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Besides their impressive entertainment value, these films and several others are rich in God language and religious significance. Why, some may wonder, do we need to reflect upon films so intensely? The answer is that we don't, but if we are grasping for meaning in our culture, as Detweiler contends, movies are a fine place to start looking for God. (July) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.



Reel Spirituality, 2nd Edition
by Robert K. Johnston

Thoughtful Christians realize they can learn much from movies---they influence our culture and help shape our perceptions on everything from relationships and careers to good and evil. Johnston's insightful book will heighten your sensitivity to cinematic statements about the human condition and theological truths.



Finding God in the Movies
by Robert K. Johnston, Catherine M. Barsotti

Inviting Christians to "have a conversation with a movie's story, not an inquisition," Barsotti and Johnston add to the growing number of film study guides on the market for pastors, youth leaders and religious educators. By even mentioning an inquisition, Barsotti, a film reviewer for The Covenant Companion magazine, and her husband Johnston, a professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary, make it clear that their primary audience is evangelical Christians who see film as a guilty pleasure. For the guilt-free, some parts of the book will feel like unnecessary apologetics, and the language sometimes lapses into evangelical jargon. The heart of the book is its evocative, open-ended questions for each film-a study in how to approach visual texts in a postmodern world. Instead of telling readers what they should think of the popular films, the authors simply share their delight in each film, and then invite us to enter the stories with new eyes. Each film gets a synopsis and theological reflection, a few "dialogue texts" from scripture, discussion questions and suggested clips for viewing and analyzing. Anyone wanting to discuss Christian theology or spirituality found in film will enjoy exploring these 33 well-tested movies and will appreciate the well-articulated model for engaging spiritually with popular culture found in this study guide. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.



How Movies Helped Save My Soul: Finding Spiritual Fingerprints in Culturally Significant Films
by Gareth Higgins

Is there more to going to the movies than mindless entertainment? Author Gareth Higgins, avid moviegoer and film critic, says there is. This is a guidebook for looking at films and finding hidden spiritual truths. With chapters on fear, God, justice, love, power, and more, Higgins teaches how to make sense of the spiritual by looking at films with a new perspective. The The Matrix to Magnolia, Fight Club to Field of Dreams, Higgins takes the reader through more than 200 films that, if looked at the right way, just might change lives. Movie buffs and novices alike will find much to enjoy, provide, amuse, challenge and confound in this book.



Entertainment Theology: New-Edge Spirituality in a Digital Democracy
by Barry Taylor

The postsecular age is shaping religion in the twenty-first century and challenging traditional thoughts on Christianity. Interest in Christian spirituality however is on the rise. Pop-culture expert Barry Taylor exhorts Christians to embrace new vehicles for communicating the truth of the Gospel, or become a thing of the past. Taking snapshots from numerous fields - including theology, cultural studies, sociology, and pop culture - he explores the broad spectrum of factors affecting religious life today. Ultimately, Taylor suggests a move away from traditional religion, proposing instead a manifestation of Christianity, not as a religion of the past, but as a beacon of hope for the present and the future.